Daily GNT Bible Reading Podcast

EZEKIEL 48:In the chapters from Ezekiel yesterday, we heard more rules for the prince's worship and about temple kitchens and a beginning part about the division of the land. Very fascinating in that is the part about the river that comes out from the east side of the temple, including trees that are for healing, bearing fruit every month. We will soon hear about this river and the trees of life in Revelation.

ISAIAH 21:Yesterday's chapter in Isaiah was only six verses long. It always seems very unfair to me that Isaiah had to go about naked as a sign about two countries that were not even his own. Surely it was a sign for the people of Israel's benefit as well. I wonder if Isaiah's being 'naked' was really what we call stark naked. In some cultures, if a man is wearing a loin cloth, he is still called naked. Just as the description states, a person in a loin cloth will have their buttocks exposed.

2CORINTHIANS 1:23—2:At the beginning of chapter 2, Paul is still telling about his change of plans and showing why he doesn't want to be misunderstood in his motives concerning that. I will read 23 in the NLT and 24 in the PET:

23 (NLT) Now I call upon God as my witness that I am telling the truth. The reason I didn't return to Corinth was to spare you from a severe rebuke. 24 (PET) My purpose and that of the other apostles of Christ isn't to command how each of you in the Corinthian church live out your beliefs. We are certain that each of you will keep standing firm in your belief. We just want to work with you so that your joy keeps on increasing because of living according to your beliefs.

GNT Translation notes:Ez. 48:30-34 There are twelve entrances to the city of Jerusalem. Each of the four walls measures 2,520 yards and [each wall has three gates//has three gates in it], each named for one of the tribes. …====2Cor. 2:4 I wrote you with a greatly troubled and distressed heart and with many tears; my purpose was not to make you sad, but to make you realize how much I love [all of you//you all].

EZEKIEL 46-47:Yesterday we heard regulations for the priests and Levites, about foreigners, and about the prince of Israel. Also there was the fascinating detail about the eastern gate, which must remain shut.

ISAIAH 20:Yesterday we heard the prophecy against Egypt, but again it ends with a note of hope for Egypt.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:Yesterday we finished the book of Hebrews. I would encourage anyone to camp out for a longer time in the 12th and 13th chapters. There is deep insight hidden there.

Here at the end of the year, we will be touring through some of the deepest writing of the New Testament— like what we experienced in Hebrews. 2nd Corinthians is such a letter. It is actually called "Paul's hard letter." And from a Bible translator's experience, it is the hardest book in the New Testament to translate. This is because Paul shares his feelings deeply and in doing so he often draws fine distinctions— not wanting to be misunderstood. It is those fine shades of feelings that are so hard to translate.

2nd Corinthians is a book where Paul shares in an intensely personal way. First he shares about ministry setbacks and discouragement. In sharing these things, Paul also gives us golden keys to unlock comfort and encouragement in our lives. Then Paul shares several personal stories because he feels forced to. That is, because of comparisons drawn between him and false teachers, the Corinthian church needs to know information about Paul's apostleship and relationship with Christ that Paul would prefer not to boast about.

Paul also urges the Corinthian church to complete their desire to minister financially to the needy fellow believers in Jerusalem. In teaching about ministering with Christian kindness, Paul gives valuable examples to us about the proper motivation for Christian charitable work and appropriate fund raising.

GNT Translation notes:2Cor. 1:21 It is God himself who makes us, together with you, sure of our life in union with Christ; it is God himself who has [anointed us (with his Spirit to make us capable to serve Him),//set us apart,] 24 We are not trying to dictate to you what you must believe; we know that you stand firm in [our true beliefs//the faith]. Instead, we are working with you for your own happiness.

EZEKIEL 44-45:In the vision of the ideal temple yesterday, we heard of the buildings of rooms for the priests and offerings, the altar, the glory of God coming to this temple, and the reason for this vision.

ISAIAH 19:Yesterday in Isaiah we heard the prophecy about the defeat of the Ethiopians, and at the end of that message, there was a note of hope for that nation.

HEBREWS 13:Yesterday (and even the day before) we returned to the place of rest which was the theme of chapters 3-4. Did you notice?! Compare the last verse of chapter 4 with the place where we 'have come' to in 12:22-24.

GNT Translation notes:Heb. 13:1 Keep on loving one another as [brothers and sisters in the Lord//Christians].7 Remember your former leaders, who spoke God's message to you. Think back on how they lived and died, and imitate [the way they lived out their beliefs//their faith]. 8 [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] is the same yesterday, today, and forever. [The correct order is 'title' then 'name' in English. We always say words like 'president', 'senator', and 'doctor' before a person's name in that role. Greek can do the order either way. This is important because there are people in the world that think that 'Christ' is Jesus' last name. The order is reversed in v.21 also.]9 Do not let all kinds of strange teachings lead you from the right way. It is good to receive inner strength from [appreciating God's gracious kindness//God's grace], and not by obeying rules about foods; those who obey these rules have not been helped by them.

EZEKIEL 42-43:In yesterday's tour of the ideal temple we viewed the sanctuary and Most Holy Place.

ISAIAH 18:Yesterday we heard of Damascus and Syria and Israel.

HEBREWS 12:After recounting the more victorious heroes of faithful believing, the author spoke about all those unnamed people who victoriously suffered because of fully believing. The Faith Chapter ends with this:

Heb. 11:39 NLT All these people earned a good reputation because of their [fully believing//faith], yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

GNT Translation note:Heb. 12:2 Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our [believing//faith] depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God's throne.

EZEKIEL 41:Yesterday we started Ezekiel's account of his long vision about the future and ideal temple of God, and this is another vision that is referred to in the book of Revelation. The reason for this vision is given in chapter 43:

Ez. 43:10 NLT "Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed of all their sins. Let them study its plan, 11 and they will be ashamed of what they have done.

ISAIAH 17:Yesterday we finished the two chapter oracle concerning Moab. It was really not so much a prophecy of condemnation, but a lament for the people.

HEBREWS 11b:The Faith Chapter of Hebrews is an exposition of the verse quoted from Habbakuk 2:

Heb. 10:38 NLT And my righteous ones will live by [fully believing in Me//faith].But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away."

It is unfortunate that the King James Version of the first verse of Hebrews 11 doesn't make good sense but is still so often quoted as the definition of faith. The KJV says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for …" But how can I use that idea of 'substance'? This became the definition that is quoted, but no one can figure out what to do with it after quoting it. No one can— so to speak, put their finger on that 'substance'. The Greek word translated as 'substance' can also be translated 'confidence'. And using that word, our definition makes sense.

GNT Translation notes:Heb. 11:17 It was [Abraham's belief in God's promise//faith] that [moved him to//made Abraham] offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice.13 [All these people kept on fully believing until they died.//It was in faith that all these persons died.] They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth.20 [It was Isaac's belief in God's promises that moved him to promise//It was faith that made Isaac promise] blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.21 [It was Jacob's belief in God's promises that moved him to//It was faith that made Jacob] bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.22 [It was Joseph's belief in God's promises that moved him— when he was about to die, to//It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die,] speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.23 [Moses' parents believed in God's promises. And that is what moved them to hide//It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide] him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.24 [When Moses had grown up, it was his belief in God's promises that moved him to//It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up,] refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter.27 [It was his belief in God's promises that moved him to lead the people of Israel out of//It was faith that made Moses leave] Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. 28 [The same beliefs moved him to//It was faith that made him] establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.29 [It was the Israelites' belief in God that enabled them//It was faith that made the Israelites able] to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.30 [It was the Israelites' belief in God that//It was faith that] made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. 31 [It was Rahab's belief in God that kept her//It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab] from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.33 [Their belief in God enabled them to be overthrow other kingdoms.//Through faith they fought whole countries and won.] They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 put out fierce fires, [and] escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. 35 [By means of their full belief in God,//faith] women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. 39 What a record all of these have won by [means of their full belief in God and his promises!//their faith!] Yet they did not receive what God had promised,

EZEKIEL 40:In chapter 38-39 we heard of the kingdoms of Gog and Magog, which point to future kingdoms in the north. Like Ezekiel's prophecies against the kings of Tyre and Babylon, Gog and Magog also refer to spiritual entities beyond this world, and we will hear of them again in Revelation chapter 20. And today we begin hearing of something else that appears in Revelation.

ISAIAH 16:Today's chapter is the continuation of the prophecy against Moab.

HEBREWS 10:35—11a:As I have told you again and again this year, because of a quirk in English, the tight connection between the noun 'faith' and the verb 'believe' has been broken. These two words have the same root in Greek. It would have been better had English preserved the connection such as between 'confidence' and 'confident'. The reason I mention that again here is because this is the famous 'faith chapter' of Hebrews. Note that this chapter is actually expounding on a quote from the end of chapter 10, so that's where we begin today.

GNT Translation notes:Heb 10:39 We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we [are those people who keep or believing//have faith] and are saved.11:1 To [believe means//have faith is] to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2 It was by their [believing//faith] that people of ancient times won God's approval. 3 [By means of our believing//It is by faith] that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen. 4 It was [Abel's believing//faith] that [moved him to//made Abel] offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. [It was by means of his believing that//Through his faith] he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his [believing//faith] Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.[and etc.]13 [All these people kept on fully believing until they died.//It was in faith that all these persons died.] They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth.17 It was [Abraham's believing God's promise//faith] that [moved him to//made Abraham] offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice.

EZEKIEL 38-39:Yesterday we heard the famous 'dry bones' chapter of Ezekiel. Again the prophecy is that David will rule over the nation of Israel, which is like a nation of bones brought back to life. The references to David of course point to his heir, Christ.

Starting in this chapter we hear of the kingdoms of Gog and Magog. These names point to future kingdoms in the north (in Turkey or farther north). Like Ezekiel's prophecies against the kings of Tyre and Babylon, Gog and Magog point to spiritual entities beyond this world, and we will hear those names coming up again in Revelation. I doubt that these names pointed to a specific kingdom in Ezekiel's day, but if they did, the knowledge about that is lost.

ISAIAH 15:Yesterday's reading in Isaiah started out like Ezekiel, talking of Israel's return from exile and slavery. Then we heard another portion where the king of Babylon is clearly portraying Satan. That section starts with these words:

Is. 14:12 NLT "How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning!You have been thrown down to the earth,you who destroyed the nations of the world.13 For you said to yourself,'I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars.…

HEBREWS 10b:In the first part of chapter 10, the writer is still speaking of the advantages and greater glory of the new covenant, proving this with a reference to Psalm 40 and returning to the extended quote from Jeremiah 31.

GNT Translation notes:Heb. 10:22 So let us come near to God with a sincere heart[, with full belief, and// and a sure faith,] with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water39 We are not people who turn back and are lost. Instead, we [are those people who keep or believing//have faith] and are saved.

EZEKIEL 36-37:In chapter 34, we heard the passage that many Jews would have thought of when they heard Jesus say, "I am the good shepherd. I give my life for the sheep." In Ezekiel 34, God promised to take away corrupt shepherds, saying that He would replace them with only one shepherd— namely David's descendant who will shepherd of the flock of God forever.

ISAIAH 14:Like we heard in Ezekiel and in Isaiah, and will hear in Revelation, Babylon will be judged. That kingdom was God's tool to execute judgment, but they themselves will feel God's judgment.

HEBREWS 10a:In chapter 9 of Hebrews, details about rituals under the first covenant were given. The writer was showing by contrast how Jesus entered a greater, permanent, holy, divinely made Most Holy Place with the one-time-only sacrifice of his own blood. In our time, I think the details also show us the impossibility of our ever rebuilding a system like the Mosaic covenant. I take this opportunity to share my opinion— which I recognize will not be shared by all listeners. But here it is: Those who want to add old covenant observances to our Christian faith just add accretions of man-made ritual. It is better to study and understand how much better the new covenant is, rather than to add empty and powerless ritual and symbolism from the old to the new.

GNT Translation note:Heb. 10:22 So let us come near to God with a sincere heart[, with full belief, and// and a sure faith,] with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water.

EZEKIEL 34-35:In Ezekiel yesterday, we heard of how Pharaoh was to be mocked in the world of the dead. Then we heard of God's justice, which he showed by the illustration of Ezekiel as a watchman for a city.

ISAIAH 13:Yesterday's reading in Isaiah was a psalm of praise including these poetic lines:

Is. 12:2 NLT The LORD GOD is my strength and my song;he has given me victory."3 With joy you will drink deeplyfrom the fountain of salvation!…Tell the nations what he has done.Let them know how mighty he is!

HEBREWS 9:Important conclusions from yesterday's reading include:

Heb. 8:6 GNT But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.13 By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear.

EZEKIEL 32-33:Again, as seen in the messages to Tyre and to Egypt, God was not just speaking to one king or about one kingdom, but was also speaking against the kingdom/city of Man or the world system under the rulership of Satan.

ISAIAH 12:In yesterday's reading we again heard of the righteous Branch, a shoot growing from David's root. And we heard these famous words which I give here from the NLT:

Is. 11:2 NLT And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,the Spirit of counsel and might,the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.3 He will delight in obeying the LORD.He will not judge by appearancenor make a decision based on hearsay.4 He will give justice to the poorand make fair decisions for the exploited.The earth will shake at the force of his word,and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.5 He will wear righteousness like a beltand truth like an undergarment.

HEBREWS 8:In yesterday's reading, the writer of Hebrews showed many similarities between Melchizedek and Christ, including that they are kings of righteousness and peace, they live forever, and are higher in position and better than Abraham and Moses. Christ is also better than the Levitical priests because he received his priesthood by an oath from God and because he holds his office as priest forever. These things are amazingly confirmed by that prophetic verse in Psalm 110. And very significantly, Jesus thus being our High Priest signifies a change in the Law— something that the original Jewish audience would have found surprising and controversial. Note how skillfully the writer wove in that controversial topic— which he brings to a conclusion in today's chapter.